1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game system for progressing a game on a basis such as the time.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a game to be executed on a video game apparatus using a computer, there is known a roll playing game in which a leading character of the game is made to act based on instructions from the player, the leading character being thereby caused to experience various battles and ventures, to achieve a final objective (for example, a rescue of a heroine). As such a kind of game, there is one in which a story on the game is caused to progress in correspondence to variations of time, such as the morning, day and night, and the time is also reflected on actions of a character that appears in the game. Like this, the concept of time is taken in a game, whereby the content of the game can have an enhanced reality.
In conventional games, the flow of time is irreversible, and even if a selection made at a point of time on a game by the player is thereafter found to be improper, this state can not be set back to go afresh. For another selection to be made, the player has to replay from the start. To this point, in a roll playing game, a character has its power as well as levels, such as of available weapons or magic, increased or raised in accordance with the degree of experience in the game. Such settings, based on accumulated experiences, are wholly reset to initial status if the game is replayed from the start, and the player has to repeat unchanged labor. The player may then be get tired of the game.
It therefore is an object of the invention to provide a game system in which a player is can repeat playing a predetermined range of the game, and experiences gained by a character to be operated are reflected on the game to be repeated, so that the player is kept from getting tired.
A first aspect of the invention to meet the object is a game system which comprises a counting device for performing a count for controlling a progress of a game, a game progress control device for making a plurality of characters, including a character set as an operation object of a player, virtually act to have the game progress in line with a predetermined schedule in correspondence to a count value of the counting device, a progress status storage device for storing various information for discriminating a progress status of the game, including information associated with an experience of the character on the game as the operation object, and an information updating device for updating information stored in the progress status storage device in accordance with the progress status of the game, and in which the schedule is configured to make the progress status of the game change in accordance with information recorded in the progress status storage device, wherein the system comprises a count control device operative, at a time point the game has progressed to an end point of a loop range set in correspondence to the count value of the counting device, when a predetermined progress permission condition is met, for permitting a progress of the game ahead of the loop range, and when the progress permission condition is not met, for making the count value of the counting device retreat to a value corresponding to a start point of the loop range, and an information control device operative, in a case the count value of the counting device is retreated by the count control device to the value corresponding to the start point, for maintaining exceptional information as a part including the information associated with the experience of the character on the game as the operation object out of the information stored in the progress status storage device in a state when at the end point of the loop range, and for having other information restored in an initial state corresponding to the start point.
According to this aspect of invention, at the time point when the game has progressed to an end point of a loop range, if a predetermined progress permission condition is not met, the count value of the counting device is made to retreat to a value corresponding to the start point of the loop range, and the game again progresses from the start point of the loop range. Therefore, the player is allowed to have the contents of the second play and sequels change to be more adequate in accordance with his or her own experiences on the play. Moreover, as there is maintained information associated with an experience on the game by a character as an operation object, the progress of game is modified on the basis of maintained information, in a manner different from the case in which the game is simply replayed. Further, depending on variations in progress of the game, the character as the operation object is allowed to gain many additional experiences, in dependence on which the progress of the game can be varied to be more colorful. It therefore is possible to always give a fresh impression to the player, attracting an interest to the game over a long interval.
A second aspect of the invention is a game system according to the first aspect, wherein the plurality of characters play their allotted rolls on a virtual game field, the schedule is set for executing a roll playing game in which the character as the operation object of the player acts in the virtual game field, aiming at a predetermined target, and the count control device discriminates whether the progress permission condition is met or not, depending on whether or not the character as the operation object has achieved the predetermined target.
According to this aspect of the invention, the game is repeated unless a predetermined target is achieved. By repeated plays on a loop range, a character as an operation object is let to gain experiences, whereby the game is caused to have variations such as in, for example, character""s power and kind and quality of available items, as well as increase in number of characters to act as allies, and the schedule can be set to gradually constitute an environment for the target to be achieved in accordance with those variations so that the player tends to positively repeat playing the loop range. The noted target may be set in variety, such as, a win in a battle with a predetermined enemy character, or arrival at a predetermined position on a game field. The game field may be a two-dimensional space or a three-dimensional space.
A third aspect of the invention is a game system according to the second aspect, wherein the game progress control device controls a progress of the game so that the predetermined target is not achieved when the information stored in the progress status storage device fails to meet a predetermined clear condition. According to this aspect of the invention, the game is kept from progressing ahead of the loop range, unless a clear condition is met. It therefore is possible for the player to properly control the number of repetition times of the play until an escape from the loop range, by setting the clear condition. The clear condition can be set in adequate manner, for example, a clear condition may be set not to be met so long as the power of a character as an operation object is kept from exceeding a predetermined level.
A fourth aspect of the invention is a game system according to the third aspect, wherein the schedule is set so that the clear condition is not met unless the predetermined loop range is played a plurality of times. Accordingly, the player tends to securely repeat playing a loop range. Thereby, the action of a respective character is allowed to be set on an assumption that the loop range is played repeatedly, and unlike the case in which a game is simply replayed, the content of the game in the loop range can be set attractive to the player.
A fifth aspect of the invention is a game system according to one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the schedule has prescribed therein a plurality of actions to be incompatible so long as the loop range is played a single time with respect to the character as the operation object, the game progress control device renders one of the plurality of incompatible actions executed based on an instruction given from the player through a predetermined input apparatus, and the information associated with the experience of the character on the game as the operation object includes information for discriminating whether or not the plurality of incompatible actions are respectively executed.
According to this aspect of the invention, similarly to the fourth aspect, the game can be configured on the assumption that the player repeats playing a loop range a plurality of times. Therefore, when compared with a game to be configured without such an assumption, the part to be repeated can be provided with a novelty to sufficiently attract the player""s interest.
A sixth aspect of the invention is a game system according to the first aspect, wherein when a predetermined release condition set with respect to another character of the plurality of characters than the character as the operation object is met at the time point the end point of the predetermined range is reached, information associated with an experience of a character meeting the release condition is contained in the exceptional information.
According to this aspect of the invention, another character than the character as the operation object can also act to have experiences accumulated in accordance with repetition of a loop range, so that the progress status of the game can be modified in accordance with the accumulation. The content of the game can thereby be varied more colorful.
A seventh aspect of the invention is a game system according to the sixth aspect, wherein when the player has the character as the operation object execute a predetermined release action set for the other character, the predetermined release condition is met with respect to the other character constituted as the object of the release action.
According to this aspect of the invention, due to an action of a character as an operation object of the player, another character""s experience is repeatedly reflected on a loop range. Therefore, the player""s operation is associated deeper with a variation in game content of the loop range, giving rise to an increased interest to the game.
An eighth aspect of the invention is a game system according to the first aspect, wherein the schedule is set in correspondence to a lapse time on the game, and the counting device times the lapse time. According to this aspect of the invention, the game has a concept of time taken therein with an increased reality. Further, as the count value of the counting device is returned, the time is set back on the game so that the player can be impressed with a retroaction of time which is impossible in the real world, thus having an enhanced interest to playing a loop range.
A ninth aspect of the invention is a game system according to the first aspect, wherein the counting device times a lapse time of the game, the plurality of characters play their allotted rolls on a virtual game field, and the schedule is set for executing a roll playing game in which the character as the operation object of the player acts in the virtual game field, aiming at a predetermined target, a correlation is set between a moved distance of the character as the operation object on the game field and a timed value timed by the counting device, a plurality of actions incompatible in relation between the distance on the game field and the lapse time, as actions of the character as the operation object are prescribed in the schedule, and the game progress control device makes one of the plurality of incompatible actions execute based on an instruction given by the player through a predetermined input apparatus, and the information associated with the experience of the character on the game as the operation object includes information for discriminating whether or not the plurality of incompatible actions are respectively executed.
According to this aspect of the invention, the game can be set not to have a progress permission condition meet unless the player selects both of incompatible actions, to thereby keep the player from proceeding with the game ahead of a loop range unless the player repeats playing the loop range. On the game field, there are set places for a plurality of actions to be respectively executed, at locations spaced from each other at distances set in such a relation that, supposing either action to be selected, a character as an operating object is to fail, in a time zone for another action to be executed, to reach a location for the other action to be executed, whereby the schedule can have a plurality of actions prescribed therein to be incompatible until the loop range is played merely one time. The player may repeat playing the loop range, operating the character to search over the game field, into corners or recesses, and such a playing can be assumed to be executed, to have events set up from place to place on the fame field, colorfully presenting the amusingness as well as the depth of the game. Further, the game has a concept of time taken therein with an increased reality, and as the count value of the counting device is returned, the time is set back on the game so that the player can be impressed with a retroaction of time which is impossible in the real world, thus having the higher fun to playing the loop range. The game field may be a two-dimensional space or a three-dimensional space.
A tenth aspect of the invention is a game progress control method comprising the steps of progressing a count value for controlling a progress of a game, making a plurality of characters, including a character set as an operation object by a player, virtually act in dependence on a prescribed schedule in correspondence to the count value to have the game progress, storing in a storage apparatus of a game system various information for discriminating a progress status of the game, including information associated with an experience of the character on the game as the operation object, while updating the information in accordance with the progress status of the game, having the progress status of the game change in accordance with the various information stored in the storage apparatus for discriminating the progress status of the game, operating, at a time point the game has progressed to an end point of a loop range set in correspondence to the count value, when a predetermined progress permission condition is met, for permitting a progress of the game ahead of the loop range, and when the progress permission condition is not met, for making the count value retreat to a value corresponding to a start point of the loop range, and operating, in a case the count value is returned to the value corresponding to the start point, for maintaining a part of an exceptional information including the information corresponded to an experience on the game of the character as the operation object stored in the storage apparatus, in a state at the end of the loop range, and having other information restored in an initial state corresponding to the start point.
This aspect of the invention can be executed to thereby constitute a game system according to the first aspect.
An eleventh aspect of the invention is a computer-readable storage medium with a game-oriented program recorded to have a computer provided in a game system function respectively as a counting device for performing a count for controlling a progress of a game, a game progress control device for making a plurality of characters, including a character set as an operation object of a player, virtually act to have the game progress in line with a prescribed schedule in correspondence to a count value of the counting device, a progress status storage device for storing various information for discriminating a progress status of the game, including information associated with an experience of the character on the game as the operation object, and an information updating device for updating information stored in the progress status storage device in accordance with the progress status of the game, wherein the schedule is configured to make the progress status of the game change in accordance with information recorded in the progress status storage device, and the program is configured to have the computer further function as a count control device operative, at a time point the game has progressed to an end point of a loop range set in correspondence to the count value of the counting device, when a predetermined progress permission condition is met, for permitting a progress of the game ahead of the loop range, and when the progress permission condition is not met, for making the count value of the counting device retreat to a value corresponding to a start point of the loop range, and information control device operative, in a case the count value of the counting device is retreated by the count control device to the value corresponding to the start point, for maintaining a part of an exceptional information including the information corresponded to an experience on the game of the character as the operation object stored in the storage apparatus, in a state at the end of the loop range, and having other information restored in an initial state corresponding to the start point.
According to this aspect of the invention, a program stored in a storage medium can be read by a computer for execution to thereby constitute a game system according to the first aspect.